All of the Times Drake Has Paid Tribute to Virgil Abloh
From giant statues to special hoodies, Drake continues to find new ways to show love to the late visionary.
“My plan is to touch the sky 1000 more times for you…love you eternally brother.”
This is what Drake’s Instagram caption read on a post following Virgil Abloh’s death in November 2021.
Drake has never been shy about showing love to Abloh. There’s the “Life Is Good” line that everyone has heard ad nauseam about the Patek on his wrist going nuts. His private jet is covered in a cloudy paint job and signature text styling that reads, "IF YOU'RE READING THIS WE LEFT," courtesy of the Off-White founder. We’ve seen the two of them link up in matching camo Arc’teryx jackets at the Nike Forum in 2020. And since the visionary’s death three years ago, Drake has continued to keep his friend’s legacy alive in various ways.
After photos recently surfaced of Drake in a hoodie covered in references to the late designer, we decided to look back at all of the times that the rapper paid tribute to Abloh.
Forearm Tattoo
When: December 2021
Drake’s body is covered in tattoos honoring some of his favorite people, from Safe to Aaliyah. So, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that he also got some ink to pay homage to Abloh. In December 2021, Drake visited tattoo artist Ganga to get an image of Abloh tossing a kite in the sky on his forearm. This is the same moment he referenced for the It’s All A Blur tour stage design. But more on that in a bit.
Honestly, Nevermind
When: June 2022
Drake dedicated his entire 2022 dance album, Honestly, Nevermind, to Abloh. Tucked away in the notes of the project’s Apple Music page was a message that concluded with, “DEDICATED TO OUR BROTHER V.” The dedication shouldn’t be too surprising. One of Abloh's many trades was DJ'ing. He frequently DJ’d events and was known for showcasing house music in his sets. He also worked on projects with important artists in the space like Chicago house pioneer Honey Dijon, South African DJ Black Coffee, and more.
“Sticky”
When: August 2022
The most obvious nods to Abloh on Honestly, Nevermind came on the standout track “Sticky.” He raps, "Off-road Maybach, Pyrex trap/Virgil came back through the boy." The bars reference two of Abloh's endeavors, collaborative work with Mercedes-Benz and his first brand, Pyrex Vision. Towards the end of the song, the beat pauses and we get a message from Abloh, “Like we weren’t supposed to come up with something this clean, like something happened.” This was pulled from his "Everything in Quotes" lecture at Columbia GSAPP in 2017. The particular sound bite was Abloh discussing the conceptualization of the Yeezus cover with Ye.
When the "Sticky" video dropped a few weeks later, Drake made sure to really live his lyrics. Abloh’s one-of-one Mercedes-Benz Project Maybach concept car is featured throughout. The special vehicle was officially unveiled during Art Basel Miami in December 2021 just days after Abloh’s death. Drake also owns the 2023 Mercedes-Maybach S680 designed by Virgil Abloh, which features a similar paint job to the off-road edition. It's one of only 150 that were produced.
“Meltdown” Verse
When: July 2023
Some people might not necessarily consider this one a tribute. After all, Drake’s verse on “Meltdown” is more well-known for his threat to melt down $3 million worth of Pharrell’s iconic jewelry that he bought at auction. But we’re going to count it. Later on in the verse, Drake raps, “Since V not around, the members done hung up the Louis, they not even wearin' that shit.” This is meant to another subtle jab at LV's current men’s creative director, Pharrell Williams, but it doubles as praise of Abloh’s tenure at the storied French luxury house. If it is designed by Abloh, don't even bother throwing it on. That's loyalty.
Immortal Varsity by Gruppo Vava
When: October 2023
In the video for “8AM in Charlotte,” Drake sports a black leather jacket covered in multicolored Vs. Of course, the Vs are for Virgil. His name is also spelled out in full across the back. The jacket was a special creation from the mysterious brand Gruppo Vava. Vava stands for “Virgil Abloh Vision Always,” which in and of itself is its own tribute. While nothing has ever been officially confirmed, PDF founder Domenico Formichetti seems to be involved as he is one of only three people the brand’s Instagram page follows.
Drake isn’t the only one to wear an Immortal Varsity. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also pulled up to the 2024 NBA All-Star Game in a white version. From the looks of it, these seem incredibly exclusive, but maybe Drake will decide to release Gruppo Vava to the world sooner or later and give some of us a chance to own the amazing jacket.
Lumiere Hoodie by Gruppo Vava
When: March 2024
The latest Gruppo Vava creation we’ve seen Drake sporting is this hoodie that is covered in various references to Abloh. A drawing of Abloh’s face from the 2021 Met Gala is sketched on the right sleeve by the cuff. The front features Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast, the same character that Abloh got a custom diamond pendant of back in 2021. The chain, which is easily one of the best customs we’ve ever seen, was created in collaboration with Izzy the Jeweler. The animated candelabra is sandwiched between “312” and “773,” the two area codes of a city that Abloh has a deep connection with, Chicago. Drake has been spotted in red and blue variations. Unlike the Immortal jackets, we could see these actually releasing if Gruppo Vava ever goes public. If they do, we might need to grab one.
